Australian cricket great Damien Martyn has revealed he was given a 50-50 chance of survival when he was placed in an induced coma amid a bout of meningitis.
The former Australian right-hand batter was rushed to hospital in late December before being diagnosed with meningitis, an infection and swelling of fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord.
The 54-year-old had been placed in an induced coma and was fighting for life in a Gold Coast intensive care unit, but awoke and was eventually discharged.
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His recovery was described as a miracle by friends and family.
But, speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, Martyn has revealed just how serious the situation was.
“On the 27th of December 2025 my life was taken out of my hands…when meningitis took over my brain, & unbeknownst to me I was placed into a paralysed coma for eight days to help me fight this awful disease,” he posted on social media.
“And that I did! Fight that is! After being given a 50-50 chance of surviving, I came out of the induced coma eight days later … not able to walk or talk.
“And yet four days after that, with the doctors in disbelief, I walked, I talked and proved to them all why I should be released from hospital to start my recovery.
“So happy to be home, to be able to put my feet in the sand on the beach and to start thanking all those people that reached out to me and my family in their unwavering support.”
Martyn, who began the message with a massive thank you to his family, friends and others who reached out to him, went on to thank all the medical staff who cared for him.
“This experience has reminded me of how fragile life is, how quickly everything can change & how precious time is,” he said.
“There are so many wonderful people in this world … from paramedics (at Mermaid Waters Ambulance), doctors & nurses (at Gold Coast University Hospital) … to family, friends and people I didn’t even know.
“I feel like I met all these fantastic people in the past three weeks, or they reached out to me through messages of love and support.
“I am so grateful to you all. Thank you! Bring on 2026 …I’m back!”
Darwin-born Martyn earned a Test debut at 21 replacing Dean Jones in the 1992-93 home series against West Indies, and was Western Australia’s captain at 23.
He was player of the series the last time Australia won a series in India, topscoring in four of Australia’s eight innings at the crease in the 2004 battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
His Test high score of 165 came against New Zealand in 2005, one of 13 centuries Martyn made in the baggy green. He averaged 46.37.
Martyn was among a handful of star Australian players to retire in the 2006-07 Ashes series, playing his final match at the Adelaide Oval that summer.
He also played 208 ODIs, averaging 40.8 and scoring an unbeaten 88 runs as Australia defeated India in the final of the 2003 World Cup.
– With AAP
